Fidelity
by luna-magic-2005
Summary: It all started with a dog. It was only fitting that it ended with one, as well.
1. Chapter 1

Standard disclaimer applies. I do not own Inuyasha.

All four chapters were originally posted to Live Journal on January 3, 2012.

1st place winner in the One-shot Contest on Dokuga(underscore)Contest on Live Journal – One-shot #086, Bravado!

…

Fidelity

Chapter One

By: Luna

…

"_Histories are more full of examples of the fidelity of dogs than of friends."_

- Alexander Pope

It all started with a dog.

A not-really-normal-dog-but-an-insanely-super-strong dog, but a dog all the same. At first she didn't really notice it following her around. She saw it every now and then around town, but she just assumed that the dog was a very well-travelled stray, and left it at that. It was only until she left the shrine one early morning on her way to work, that she noticed him sitting at the top of the steps like a shrine dog did she finally get fed up.

She stopped beside him and glared down, then propped her hands on her hips when the giant silver dog merely turned its regal head to consider her with a serene expression. That irritated her even more, since she felt the dog was looking at her as if she was a child.

"Listen you," she started through gritted teeth. She felt a prickly along her senses; she _knew_ this was no ordinary dog. "Stop following me around! What are you, some sort of guard dog?"

"Something like that." A deep voice answered, its tone as cool as an icy river in the middle of winter.

Kagome froze, staring down at the dog with a paralyzed expression. The lips didn't move. Her senses barely even fizzed. How could a dog with so little power talk to her? And something about the voice just pissed her off, but she couldn't figure out why. Pushing aside her shock, she focused on the situation at hand. She's dealt with weirder things in the past anyways.

"Something like that," she quoted in an irritated manner, acting like the child he seemed to think she was anyways. "Is there a reason _why?_ Or are you just some abandoned mutt looking for free food?"

He was silent for so long that Kagome felt guilty, and she groaned in defeat before giving his head a careless pat as she ran down the stairs. "You better not talk to me in public!" She called over her shoulder as she ran. "I'll be seen as the crazy lady!"

She didn't know what his expression would have been, if dogs managed to even have expressions, but she didn't stop to look, and instead continued to run, eyes straight forward to her destination. Kagome worked as a PE teacher at her old high school, since her return from the past ten years ago made her into a fitness junky. At first, physical exertion took her mind off her suffering; it made her so tired she couldn't think. After a while, she genuinely started to love working out, and went to university to get her teaching certification.

The shrine had been taken over by a distant cousin who was actually into the religion and cherished the responsibility; Kagome pretty much stayed there as an honorary houseguest, since she was still classified as a powerful miko. Her cousin seemed to actually possess a spark of spiritual energy, and had seemed daunted at the power in Kagome. After that, she insisted Kagome stay at the shrine instead of moving out like she had originally planned. Since that was cheaper and the house was familiar to her, Kagome readily agreed.

After her grandfather passed away and Souta moved to America to pursue an international degree in business (which surprised the hell out of her, since _he_ had always been the athletic one) Kagome's mother ended up remarrying a very nice gentleman and moved to live quietly with him in the country. Kagome wasn't able to let go of Tokyo, or the shrine that housed all of her memories. Staying wasn't a chore, she thought cheerfully as she drilled her students into exercise. Her cousin Himeko was actually quite fun when she wasn't taking her chores as the shrine maiden too seriously.

Kagome fiddled with the whistle around her neck, cheerfully thinking about what she needed to cook for dinner that night. She might as well pick up some steak for her canine companion as well…

"Kagome-sensei!"

Kagome turned sharply, glaring in reproach at two of her female students. "That's Higurashi-sensei to you two! When did I give you permission to use my first name?"

The girls blushed, but they were smiling. "Higurashi-sensei, did something good happen today?"

Kagome blinked, tilting her head to the side quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it's just that Higurashi-sensei seems so much happier today! We didn't know if something good happened."

Kagome smiled and ruffled their hair, waving to them over her shoulder as the rest of her dismissed students starting making their way to the locker room to change. "I just got a new pet, that's all!"

She was still humming as she left the school later that day, and blinked in surprise when she noticed the silver dog sitting outside the school gates calmly. "What are you doing here?" She asked, running an absent hand over his head as she passed him, knowing he'd start to follow her. "You didn't have to wait for me."

He didn't say anything, and when she looked down to frown at him, he met her eyes serenely. "Well?" She demanded. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

"You told me not to talk to you in public. I am merely abiding by your wishes." He replied calmly, his huge paws walking slowly in measured steps. There really was something familiar about this dog, she thought, puzzled.

"Hmph. I change my mind. Talk to me as much as you want." Kagome shot him another look, wondering why she wasn't more intimidated by a dog that was the size of a malamute, with the beauty of an exotic predator. "Why are you following me, anyways? I don't need protection."

"You're hiding something very precious, aren't you?" He asked her, still in that cool, unaffected voice. Though it was strange to her that his lips didn't move, since Shippo definitely had a fox's muzzle, and he had spoken out of it very clearly, she didn't really mind too much. She stopped questioning mythical things a long time ago, and was determined to merely go with the flow.

His words, however, settled a nagging worry, and she felt curiously calm and in icy command. "Indeed I am. Are you perhaps after it as well?" She asked calmly, reaching in her pocket for a pack of cigarettes. She quit years ago, but the habit to tap the pack against her palm never quite went away, and in this moment it soothed her.

She heard a very canine snort, and looked down to see the dog curl its lip up in a sneer, revealing a flash of razor sharp teeth. "I do not seek power in objects. I am powerful enough in my own right; I do not need what you carry. If I want more power, I will seek it myself, through myself."

"So says the four legged dog." She commented, but her anxiety was curiously vanished. "Come on," she said suddenly, flashing him a quick grin. "Race ya to the grocery store!"

She took off in a flash. When she realized he was hot on her heels, she let loose a peal of laughter, unintentionally drawing interested eyes. The dog at her side snarled. "Those men are staring at you. Stop running, you are looking far too vivacious."

"Vivacious?" She asked breathlessly, slowing down to a jog as they neared the convenient store close to the shrine. "I've never had a demon call me that before."

She looked down when she sensed shock in her companion. She blinked at its frozen expression. "What?"

"How do you know I am a demon? What if I had been a spirit?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Puh-lease. I may not use my powers, but that doesn't mean I don't have them. I was able to tell you were a demon the first moment I saw you."

The dog looked over at her contemplatively as she slowed to a walk, annoyingly calm and showing no signs of exertion. "Perhaps you have grown after all."

Kagome frowned at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The dog looked away. "Nothing. Go buy your groceries and let's go."

Rolling her eyes, Kagome did just that.

Later that night, Kagome sealed away the remains of her dinner, wondering where her cousin was at. It was unusual to leave the shrine unattended, and not like her diligent cousin at all. Looking out the kitchen window, she smiled when she stared up into the clear night sky. She turned to her new companion, who had settled himself near the doorway off the kitchen, and gestured for him to follow her. "C'mon, let's go outside. We might actually be able to see the stars."

Kagome settled with him on the back porch, swinging her legs out lazily over the side of the veranda. The dog settled beside her, sitting as straight and as proud as a prince. Kagome smiled, leaning up against his massive frame and looping her arm around him companionably. "You know," she started. "I finally realized who you remind me of the most. I think I've finally got a name for you."

"Which is?" His voice was lazy, as if he didn't particularly care for her answer.

"Sesshoumaru." She said, pulling her knees up to her chest as she burrowed further into the warmth of his coat. "I think I'm going to call you Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru froze, but since she was too busy making herself comfortable she didn't really notice. She knew that the dog beside her was a demon, but she already felt so comfortable in his presence that she didn't care about being particularly safe at the moment. Besides, he said he was there to protect her, and he didn't really seem to mind her close proximity.

"Who is the person that you are naming me after?" He asked carefully, going rigid in surprise when her nose started nuzzling the underside of his chin in an inu sign of submission, and an askance for affection.

Kagome was unaware of the nuances of her actions as she tried to warm her nose up. "Sesshoumaru," she started, her voice muffled by his fur. "Was a very proud dog."

A beat of silence, and then a wry voice, "That's all?"

Kagome gurgled with laughter. "If I didn't know any better, I would think you were searching for compliments."

"Hnn."

Kagome's eyes popped open, a wave of déjà vu assaulting her. She pushed her feelings aside, then smiled a little wistfully. "No, that's not all." She told him softly. "He's also someone I used to be in love with."

"Used to?"

Sighing, she leaned against him fully, this time seeking comfort. "It's been a very long time. I have seen him in over five hundred years."

"Five hundred years?" His voice was disbelieving. "You are but a human."

Kagome smiled, a bit more genuinely this time. "That I am. But I'm not lying. At first I thought I was in love with his younger brother, Inuyasha. But…"

"But…?"

"Puppy love," she said with a little laugh. "You come into it quickly, and grow out of it just as fast. He was a friend, a dear one, but no more than that. His brother Sesshoumaru, on the other hand… Ah, now that one stuck a little longer."

Kagome remembered the first time he kissed her, as if desperate for her, conveying feelings that he would never express out loud. Words had meaning, but actions did too, and for a demon who said very little, she had paid close attention to what actions he expressed. "He was perfect," she ended up whispering. "But he was very dark, and very terrifying. He ended up leaving a miko like me."

"Why?"

"Because I was me, and he was him. He knew I would be sent back, and didn't want to wait." Kagome's eyes closed, sleep flowing through her body like a drug. "You remind me a lot like him."

"I have no intention of leaving you." His voice was a deep promise, and she smiled again in spite of the topic of conversation.

"Of course you're not. Because you're a dog, not a man." She said sleepily. "And dogs are always faithful."

She fell asleep without a second thought, and didn't hear what might have been a whine escape from Sesshoumaru's throat.


	2. Chapter 2

Standard disclaimer applies. I do not own Inuyasha.

All four chapters were originally posted to Live Journal on January 3, 2012.

…

Fidelity

Chapter Two

By: Luna

…

"_A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down."_

- Robert Benchley

It all started with a confession.

"Big sister!" Souta was beat red, shame and embarrassment mixed awkwardly on his handsome face. "I'm gay!"

The bacon Kagome had been munching on fell to her plate with a little clink of surprise, her fingers a little slack in surprise. His outburst was pretty shocking, especially since they were still in the middle of breakfast.

Souta had flown back to Japan the week prior, and surprised Kagome with a depressed attitude that had stuck throughout his visit. Kagome studied him calmly, taking in the red face, and the embarrassed tears in his eyes as he waited for her reply.

"Oh," she said simply. "Who's the lucky guy?"

Souta stared at her, his mouth a little open in shock. "What? Aren't you going to yell at me? Hate me?"

Sesshoumaru snorted from his curled position behind her back, as if he couldn't believe that he would ask such a stupid question. Kagome leaned back against him, bringing one knee up to her chest and hugging it, smiling a little at the misery on her little brothers face.

"Souta," she said gently. "When have I ever hated anyone? Why would I start with my dear little brother?"

His hand came up to cover his face, and Kagome couldn't sit still any longer, and moved to his side so she could wrap her arm around his shoulder in a gentle hug. "You don't understand!" He burst out, looking at her with a lost expression. "He's older than me. And he won't give me the time of day! I didn't know how to tell my friends and…"

"And you came home, to talk with your favorite big sister." She said soothingly, brushing the hair away from his forehead. "And though coming all the way back to Japan seems a bit expensive, I'm glad you came. I haven't seen you in a long time, Souta. I'm glad you came to talk to me about this."

"I don't know what to do…" He murmured, a little helplessly. "This isn't exactly something I felt should be told over the phone."

"Well, for starters, where is he so I can kick his ass?" She huffed, looking around as if the man would pop up any second in the dining room.

Souta jerked his head up, his eyes wide. "What?"

"Anyone who can resist my cute little brother deserves his ass kicked, don't you think?"

Souta stared at her feisty expression in surprise, before he dissolved into helpless laughter. He hugged her back, ruffling her hair. "You're such a midget. What kind of damage do you think you can do?"

"Well, for starters I'd be in a pretty good position to kick his balls," she huffed, straightening her hair before shooting her brother a sly look. "But I'm sure you wouldn't appreciate it."

"Sister!" Souta sputtered, his face turning red again.

Kagome laughed, proudly standing up at her intimidating height of five foot. "I may be small, but don't forget about that saying about dynamite!"

"What?" Souta asked, his expression finally at ease, with a teasing smile on his face.

"That they come in small packages!" She called over her shoulder as she padded to the kitchen, Sesshoumaru at her heels.

When the door closed behind her, she raised a shaky hand to her forehead. "Gay, huh?" she muttered to herself. "Who would have thought?"

Sesshoumaru sat down beside her. "That was very charitable of you."

"Charity had nothing to do with it." She said with a sigh. "Souta's hurting. I'm not gonna kick him while he's down. He came to me because he knows he can trust me. I don't ever want to give him a reason not to trust me."

"But you are surprised?" Sesshoumaru asked, looking at her from the corner of his eyes.

"Well, yeah." She said, blinking down at him. "He's dated girls before, you know."

"Hnn," Sesshoumaru murmured. "Love isn't bound by gender though, is it?"

Kagome stared down at him, her mouth open in surprise, before she crouched down beside him and ruffled the fur behind his ears. "No, I guess it doesn't."

Sesshoumaru nudged her hand. "You don't approve?"

Thinking about that for a moment, Kagome cracked the door open and peaked in on her brother, who was staring down at his cell phone with an anxious expression. "I don't _dis_approve. Whoever is making such an anxious expression appear on my brother's face must mean a whole lot to him, but it does make me worried. If that guy breaks my brother's heart, I'll kick his face in."

"I can always eat him for you," Sesshoumaru offered helpfully.

Kagome let the door close and glared down at him in exasperation. "No way! The last thing I need is some pricks death on my conscious."

"It wouldn't be because of you," he said reasonably. "It would be because I was feeling a little snackish."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "We're a team now, remember? I take full responsibility for your actions."

"Hmph." Sesshoumaru snorted. "I don't see why. I certainly don't take responsibility for yours."

"You're such a brat," she huffed, butting him out of the way with her hip as she sailed through the door.

Souta quickly put his cell phone away, a smile instantly appearing on his face. "Were you on the phone with someone? I thought I heard you speaking."

"Nah, just talking to this mutt," she said, jerking her thumb towards an irritated looking Sesshoumaru, knowing it would needle him for being called a mutt. "We talk all the time."

Souta looked at him strangely. "You sure do pick up the strangest of pets. He's kind of a weird dog though, isn't he? He's looking at me as if he understands every word I'm saying."

Kagome just laughed. "Which is why it's so easy to talk to him, don't you think?"

Laughing, Souta shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so." He reached out before Kagome could stop him, and cried out when Sesshoumaru snarled and snapped at his hand, suddenly vicious.

Souta stumbled back with a yelp of surprise. "What the hell? He was so calm before!"

Kagome glared at Sesshoumaru, shoving him slightly as she went to her brother's side. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry, I should have warned you. Sesshoumaru doesn't like anyone to touch him."

"He lets _you_ touch him," Souta snapped, staring at the dog warily.

"Yeah, well," Kagome muttered, inspecting Souta's hand to see if contact had been made. "He belongs to me."

"More like _you_ belong to _me_," Sesshoumaru muttered, his curled lip almost sullen.

Kagome ignored him. "Are you really okay?"

Souta forced a smile to his face. "Of course I am. Though I'm a little worried at having such a rabid dog around you. It's dangerous!"

"Yeah, I guess so." Kagome laughed sheepishly. "But only to other people. I'm perfectly safe!"

"Yeah…" Souta murmured, still frowning at her dog. "What did you say his name was?"

"Sesshoumaru!" She chirped, shooting the dog a sassy grin. "Doesn't it suit him?"

"Sesshoumaru?" Souta repeated. "Kagome, is that dog a demon?"

Only the slightest twitch of his ears revealed his surprise, but other than that Sesshoumaru did not turn around from his curled position on the other side of the table. "Yes," Kagome said with a smile, meeting Sesshoumaru's narrowed eyes with a raised brow. "I was wondering when you were gonna notice."

"But Kagome, that name…" Souta turned to her, his expression one of concern. "I hope you're not… you know… still living in the past, or anything."

"Souta," Kagome said dryly, shooting him an arch look. "_This_ Sesshoumaru is clearly a dog. I'm not into bestiality."

"W-what? Ew, that's not what I meant!"

Kagome laughed, changing the subject easily, her evasion noticed only by the dog whose attention never wavered.

Later that night, Sesshoumaru was roused out of a light rest by movement downstairs, and after a quick glance that confirmed Kagome was still fast asleep, he nudged the door open with his nose and padded downstairs. The back shoji door was open, and Sesshoumaru stepped up to it and viewed the back of Kagome's brother in speculation.

Souta was by no means a small man; he had the broad shoulders of someone who was fit and athletic, and a lean build that signified an interest in either jogging, or perhaps soccer. He vaguely remembered a photo of a young boy playing at an elementary school game on the walls, and assumed the sport had stuck with him over the years. He also had good looks for a human, but the slump in his shoulders signified a lack of confidence.

With a thought to the woman upstairs, he let out a little sigh and padded next to the young man, sitting calmly beside him. Souta had his face buried in his hands, but looked up at the arrival of Sesshoumaru. He smiled wryly. "What, do you pity me or something?"

Sesshoumaru said nothing, merely stared up at the night sky, particularly the crescent moon that currently gifted them with its soft glow. Souta looked up too, his eyes a little weary, a little sad. "I needed to come home. I missed Kagome, and I was worried about her."

"The guy really rejected me, you know. I didn't mean to turn out this way. I tried dating girls, but I was never really attracted to them before, and I didn't know why. Then I met this guy, and we became really good friends. I couldn't help but notice him. By the time I realized I was in love, it was too late to do anything about it, if there really was something that could be done in the first place." Souta's smile crumbled, and anguish took its place. "But I liked him. I really, really liked him."

Sesshoumaru said nothing, but when Souta hesitantly reached out to pat his head, he didn't stop him. Souta relaxed, letting himself smooth down the silky fur of Kagome's latest friend. "You'll take care of her, won't you?" He murmured, letting his hand drop before returning his gaze up at the sky. "She likes to pretend she's this happy go lucky girl, but she's actually pretty lonely. She hasn't gone out with anyone since… well, since the last _you_, I guess."

When Sesshoumaru flicked his gaze to Souta, his blinked when he found the human smiling knowingly at him. "Don't leave her alone, okay? She needs someone to look after her."

Sesshoumaru didn't reply, because he had already decided that a long time ago.

The next morning, Souta hugged his sister good bye before he flew back to America. Kagome was sitting against a guard rail, watching a plane streak across the sky, idly wondering if that one was Souta's.

"He'll be all right, won't he?" Kagome asked without turning around, knowing that Sesshoumaru would be there, waiting.

Sesshoumaru merely butted her hand with his nose until she absently started to stroke behind his ears, her eyes still on the airplane in the sky, and he thought: if he ever relived his life as a human, he would still want to know everything about the woman by his side, and be a part of the love that obviously held her family together, despite the oceans between them.

He would never leave her side.


	3. Chapter 3

Standard disclaimer applies. I do not own Inuyasha.

All four chapters were originally posted to Live Journal on January 3, 2012.

…

Fidelity

Chapter Three

By: Luna

…

_"The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog... He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer; he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world...When all other friends desert, he remains."_

-George G. Vest-

Speech in the U.S. Senate, 1884

...

"You know," Kagome announced suddenly, the sake cup she held in her fingers tipping dangerously to the side. "You're the longest guy so far to have stuck to my side. Like glue," she added with a firm nod. "A really pretty glue. Too bad you're a dog."

Himeko had already retired for the night; the White Day celebration had made for steady business throughout the day. Kagome alone had stayed up with her faithful companion, drinking sake and wondering why she was still alone. She sighed wistfully, propping an elbow on a knee as she hunched slightly forward, staring into the shallow depths of the small cup.

"I've never received chocolate on White Day, you know." She said, her voice a soft, wistful murmur. "I guess it's 'cuz I've never been able to be here on Valentine's Day to give chocolate to another guy, so when their day comes around they don't feel the need to reciprocate. Of course, some of my students gave me chocolates, but they don't count. I don't want to bone students."

Sesshoumaru snorted in what might have been a startled cough, and raised his head from the process of cleaning his paws to stare up at her blankly. "You have felt the need to _bone_ other males?"

Sighing sadly, she drank the rest of the sake in the cup with a huge swallow, wheezing just a little as it burned a path down her throat. "To be honest? No." She had to clear her throat, since her voice sounded a little raspy. "Isn't that weird? Almost thirty years old, and the last guy I've ever danced horizontal with told me to go back to my time. But I guess there was a reason for both of us to want to leave…"

Sesshoumaru's eyes flicked away from hers, avoiding her eyes. "Dance horizontally? Humans have strange phrases…"

"Horizontally, vertically, diagonally… hell, we even did it _flying_ one time." A drunken smile appeared on her face as her eyes glazed over at the memory. "He was perfect."

The sadness in her voice had him looking at her again, only this time she was staring up at the moon, her sake cup seemingly forgotten in her listless fingers. "Perfect," she whispered again. She suddenly seemed to remember the cup, and she picked up a sake bottle and started pouring more. "Too bad he was a prick."

"Perhaps you've had enough…." Sesshoumaru cautioned, watching as the hand that poured shook a little.

"Enough?" Kagome's head was bowed, her bangs hiding the expression in her eyes, but her voice was anguished. "I _have_ had enough. I've had enough of being lonely. I've had enough of memories. I just want to _forget_ him, and not be so pathetic!"

Even as Sesshoumaru's heart seized, she turned those anguished eyes on him. "Is that so wrong? Is it so wrong to want – to _need_ to be happy? It's not," she answered before she even finished the question. "I _hate_ him for this. I hate him for marking me so deep that he'll never leave. I hate him for making me love him, and I hate him for thinking that my love wasn't enough!"

She collapsed against him, the sake cup full of liquor splashing on the floor between them as she threw herself against him and sobbed for all she was worth. Sesshoumaru bowed his head over her shoulder, bringing one paw up to rest against her lower back in the only kind of hug he was able to provide her, whining deep in his throat at her misery.

He pulled back enough to lick the tears off her face, and then stood up with the intention of leading her back to her room. Her arms tightened around his neck, and she buried her face deeper in his fur. "No," she moaned pitifully. "Don't leave me. Please don't leave me."

"Never," Sesshoumaru vowed, willing her to believe. "I will never leave you."

Lying down again, he curled himself around her trembling form and lay with her throughout the night, keeping her warm and safe.

The next morning Kagome woke up with jackhammers chipping at her skull, and she closed her eyes and buried deeper into her pillow, moaning pitifully at the pain. Why had she drunk so much last night? The last thing she remembered was going to the convenience store and picking up a few bottles of cheap sake, then come back to the house to guzzle them all. The only thing she could remember was Sesshoumaru's steady presence, never once leaving her side.

She peaked an eye out from the safe cover of her blanket, wincing at the weak light filtering through her window. She stared blankly at the glass of water and a couple of aspirin sitting on her nightstand, then reached out an unsteady hand to first dry swallow the pills, then sip from the glass, sighing in relief as the cool moisture soothed her dry throat.

A half an hour later she made it as far as the floor beside her bed, her fingers fisting uselessly at the carpet as she tried to push away the sensation that the world was flipping upside down, and she was about to fall _up_ off the floor. She lay there sweating, her stomach twisting queasily. Another half hour ticked by, and she made it to the hallway before collapsing again, wondering where Sesshoumaru was and how she ended up in her room. Didn't she start drinking on the back veranda…?

Two hours later she managed a shower, and she was just lowering herself in the bath when Sesshoumaru nosed open the bathroom door before butting it closed, curling down to sleep in front of it as if he were making sure no one came in. She slipped down until her mouth was barely out of the water in order for her to breathe, then she sighed in relief when the water covering her ears seemed to dim the faint drums pounding in her head.

After a while, she turned her head and looked at the resting demon curiously, then moved to fold her arms on the rim and rest her chin on top. "So… what happened last night anyways?"

Sesshoumaru cracked one eye open to study her, and Kagome wondered why in that instant did he seem so sad. "You got drunk. You passed out."

The expression had flitted away as if she had imagined it, but she didn't think she had. "How did I get in my room?"

Sesshoumaru lifted one shoulder in what passed as a shrug. "I went out hunting last night. The city stank of sweets. I do not think I like this White Day very much."

It didn't exactly answer her question, but she was feeling too much like a pile of crap at that moment to grasp the fact that he was evading. "Oh. I hope you didn't kill anyone."

Sesshoumaru looked away, a shadowed look in his eyes. "I promised you I wouldn't."

"Hmm? You did?" She yawned, closing her eyes. "That's good."

A niggling memory surfaced, but she pushed it away, since it was one from five hundred years ago, and she didn't want to remember that misery while she was still dealing with her present situation. A sharp bark had her eyes snapping open, and she blinked in surprise to find Sesshoumaru sitting close to her. "Do not fall asleep in the bath tub," he commanded sharply. "You might drown."

Kagome reached out a wet hand and stroked the side of his furry face. "Would you be sad if I did?"

"Yes."

The simple answer brought a smile to her face, and she dropped her hand and started to rise, using the top of Sesshoumaru's head to balance her still wobbly legs. Kagome reached for a towel, but she didn't immediately dry off, instead padding naked to stand in front of the body mirror, inspecting her figure curiously.

"What are you doing?" Sesshoumaru watched her cup her own breasts, then slide her hands down her flat tummy to the apex of her thighs, before sliding back to pat the globes of her bottom.

"Just making sure I'm still a woman." She answered, her eyes still tracking the trail of her hands.

"I did not know you needed the reassurance." He said dryly, watching as she picked up her towel again to rub vigorously at her hair.

"Sometimes I need physical proof that I've still got it." She struck a naked pose in the mirror, winking at herself saucily. "If I wanted, I could get a man."

"Do you want to?" The question was asked carefully.

After a moment, the saucy smile faded, and she sighed before she wrapped herself in the towel and made for her room. "No," she said, simply. "It wouldn't be fair to them; they'd only be substitutes."

Sesshoumaru didn't question further as he followed her into room and she got dressed, and stayed silent as she went downstairs to make breakfast. Himeko was at the kitchen table drinking coffee and reading the newspaper, and looked up with a smile when she noticed Kagome. "Hey there," she greeted happily. "How was your night?"

"I dunno," Kagome replied, opening up the refrigerator and started rummaging through for something light to eat. "I don't really remember."

Himeko's smile faltered a bit when she met the cold eyes of Kagome's dog. The dog scared the crap out of her, but she didn't know why. There was something about its presence that rubbed her the wrong way, making her get goose bumps whenever its aura brushed up against her own. Its ice cold eyes threatened death, yet they shone with a steady love whenever they rested upon her cousin.

That was no household pet; it was a predator through and through. Himeko often wondered why someone as peace loving as Kagome was drawn to such a creature, but she wasn't about to tell her cousin how to live. As long as the dog didn't try to bite her hand off like it had before when she tried to pet it, she was fine with it.

She looked away from the beast and frowned worriedly at Kagome. "Are you okay? You look a little pale."

"Just a hangover," Kagome offered a wry smile. "You're lucky you don't drink; they're freaking awful."

She tilted her head to the side curiously. "Then why did you?"

"Hmm," Kagome added a few lumps of sugar to her tea. "I don't know. Felt like it, I guess. Maybe it's nice to feel miserable sometimes."

Himeko rolled her eyes with a small smile, folding the newspaper neatly before taking her cup to the sink, popping a breakfast bagel in the toaster for Kagome while she was at it. "If you say so. I prefer happiness myself."

Kagome didn't answer as Himeko left, instead opting to stare moodily into her tea at her reflection. "I hate happy people."

Sesshoumaru snorted out a laugh. "So says the girl who's miserable with a hangover. Don't you have work today?"

"I have work every day," Kagome replied automatically, checking her watch real quick to gauge how much time she had left before having to go to school. "But I guess you have a point. Want to split a bagel with me?"

Without asking she tossed half of the toasted bagel over her shoulder, hearing Sesshoumaru's jaws snap as he caught it, devouring it in one swallow. She didn't know why she continued doing what she had started a few weeks ago; she knew he didn't eat human food, but she gave some to him anyways. She supposed it stemmed off the fact that she really didn't know what he ate, and it soothed her when she fed him something. She wasn't sure why she did, but Sesshoumaru never stopped her. Perhaps he knew she needed to take care of someone – _anyone_ besides herself.

After spreading some cream cheese on her half, she started munching it as she padded through the house, retracing her steps as she tried to remember what she did last night. There wasn't… anything. No cup, no saucer, no bottle, not even spills where she might have knocked over a bottle in a drunken stumble on her way up the stairs. In fact, it was almost suspiciously clean. She frowned, staring down at the floor, wondering if her cousin was the one that cleaned up the mess and put aspirin beside her bed.

"No," she muttered, rubbing her forehead in confusion. "She didn't know I got drunk last night. So how did…?"

She looked down at Sesshoumaru, at the four giant paws and all the razor sharp claws gleaming in the sunlight, then shook her head at her silly thought. He couldn't have. She sighed, finishing off her bagel as she picked up her knapsack she kept by the door and sailed down the front steps, determined to sweat out her hangover, if anything.

Sesshoumaru trotted beside her; her silent, faithful companion.


	4. Chapter 4

Standard disclaimer applies. I do not own Inuyasha.

All four chapters were originally posted to Live Journal on January 3, 2012.

…

Fidelity

Chapter Four

By: Luna

…

_"The average dog has one request to all humankind. Love me."_

-Helen Exley

It all ended with the truth.

Kagome had a fever.

Her cousin led her to bed, mopped her sweaty brow, but in the end could do nothing but go to bed and pray she recovered by morning. Sesshoumaru stayed by her side, licking her cheek when she became too hot and sweat drenched her clammy skin, and crooning softly in her ear when her fever gave her nightmares.

He lay at her side on the bed, keeping her warm even when she kicked off her blankets it feverish rage. He started to lean forward to grasp her blanket and pull it over her, when her hands were suddenly clutching at the fur on either side of his head, and she dragged his face over to glare into his eyes.

"Why did you leave me?" She demanded hotly, her eyes glazed by fever.

"I have never left you," Sesshoumaru told her solemnly. "I never will."

"I asked you to come with me. You refused."

"You asked me to become something I was not." Sesshoumaru said softly, lying back down by her side. "You were being just as unreasonable as your predecessor."

"Why does everyone compare me to her?" Kagome asked, a hurt whine in her throat. "I'm nothing like her."

"No," Sesshoumaru agreed. "You asked me to go back into the future. For a demon who had known nothing but war, your request had been a selfish one, especially considering your promise to never leave my side."

"What was so unreasonable about asking you to come with me?" She asked softly, her body starting to shiver uncontrollably.

Sesshoumaru bit the edge of the blanket and dragged it over her, then settled his weight close to her side so his fur would help keep her warm. "There was nothing wrong with asking," he told her, his golden eyes showing shadows of pain as he rested his head on his giant paws. "But there was something wrong in leaving. There was no way in knowing I would have been allowed through the well."

Kagome's feverish blue eyes met his, wild and panicked. "You could have tried. You didn't care enough to."

"I did." Sesshoumaru never raised his head, but his eyes stayed steady on hers. "You are the one that did not want to wait. You left without a word. I tried to follow, but I was not allowed passage. You left me, Kagome."

"The well had to have let you through," she whispered. "How else can you be here with me?"

"Because I waited." He said quietly. "I will always wait. Until you can forgive me and until you can forgive yourself."

Kagome's body trembled so badly, her teeth started rattling against each other hard enough to where I had to have hurt. Her eyes met his again, no recollection in them. "Don't leave me."

"Never," Sesshoumaru vowed. "I will never leave you."

Kagome closed her eyes, once more lost to her feverish dreams.

Kagome's fever broke by the next morning. When she woke up the next morning, the first thing she saw was Sesshoumaru's sleeping face. She reached out, threading her fingers through the fur on his face. She knew who he was; she knew the first moment she saw him, but wasn't willing to let him know that. Sesshoumaru had been dead to her for years – literally, since she had thought him already dead and gone.

"Why are you still here?" She whispered to him, knowing he would hear.

"You should already know," Sesshoumaru replied, his voice rumbling through her mind.

She would know his voice from anywhere; he had _known_ that, and allowed her to keep up her ruse. Why? "Why now? Why after all this time?"

"I could no longer keep myself away from you," he told her, slanting his golden eyes towards her. "Before, you had told me to leave, to never go after you. I went against your demand, and went after you anyways. The well would not allow my entry. This Sesshoumaru assumed it was because you did not want it to."

"I did want it to," she said, her voice full of tears. "But why wait until now? Why didn't you show me yourself as you truly were?"

Sesshoumaru studied her, silent for a few moments. Finally, he said "Because it comforted you. You did not want it to be me, because you were scared."

She closed her eyes at the veiled hurt in his voice. "I was scared," she whispered, then made herself meet his gaze. "But I'm feeling pretty brave right now."

For a moment, Sesshoumaru didn't do anything, and it made Kagome think that maybe he was a little scared himself. She, more than anyone, knew how scary it was getting something that you had yearned for more than anything. There was a comfort factor; sometimes one was more comfortable merely yearning than the shaky joy at actually receiving – and the fear that maybe you were only dreaming.

Then it happened.

Sesshoumaru's body started glowing a bright, incandescent light – so bright that Kagome had to close her eyes. Then she felt something not quite soft on her cheek, and she realized it was Sesshoumaru's calloused hands. He always had calloused hands, she remembered, because despite his looks Sesshoumaru trained hard in sword fighting, and she knew he wouldn't have remained idle throughout the centuries.

His face was so beautiful, so precious to her. His long mane had been cut to a stylish shag that framed his beloved face – when had that happened? – but his markings were still prominent on a face that clearly showed he was still every inch the beautiful assassin. He was naked as well; of course he was – he would have made for an awkward dog if he still had his britches on.

She reached up trembling hands to frame his face, then ran her fingers through his short silver hair. "Why?" she whispered. "It was so beautiful…"

"This Sesshoumaru grew tired of it. In this human world, I am merely Minobe Hideo." Sesshoumaru did not move closer to her; she wondered why.

Kagome laughed. "'Beautiful, excellent male.'" Her eyes twinkled as she recited the meaning of his name. "Of course you'd choose that. I hope you don't mind if I continue calling you Sesshoumaru."

"Of course." His eyes were so solemn, so serious.

Her eyes were a little damp, and she whispered "Why won't you touch me?"

"You have rejected this Sesshoumaru before," he told her quietly. "I will not touch you until you can accept me."

Kagome leaned forward, and placed her trembling lips against his own. "I have always accepted you. I was just a child when I left you, and it was the biggest mistake of my life. I will never leave you, Sesshoumaru, and you have promised to never leave me. And Sesshoumaru never breaks his promises, does he?"

"Never," Sesshoumaru murmured against his lips. "I have vowed that I will never leave you, and I never have. I have only one request that I will ask of you now."

Kagome met his eyes, matching his solemn expression. "Anything."

"Love me," he whispered, his lips ghosting across hers. "Only me. Forever."

Kagome's lips rose in a small smile. "Is that it?" She whispered back teasingly.

"I will not let you go again." He told her, pulling back so she'd be able to read the intent on his face. "It would be better for you if you agree."

"Always, Sesshoumaru. I will always love you, and only you. I'm so sorry for making you wait." Kagome laughed, suddenly elated, and then twined her fingers in his hair, tugging him down to seal the promise with a kiss.

Kagome should have known better. Sesshoumaru may have the body of a man, but he was a demon all the way to the marrow of his bones – and he was dog.

And weren't dogs the most faithful of creatures?


End file.
